Long Live The Queen
by SunriseFarm
Summary: It's her last year in Stardew Valley, and Jas has her heart set on being the Flower Queen. Vincent is exploiting a loophole in the Flower Dance bylaws to try to be the Flower Queen as well. Will their friendship survive? (Teenage Jas and Vincent, Mayor Pierre, background Elliott/Leah and Farmer/Harvey)
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"With all due respect, Mr. Mayor, let me review the bylaws of the Flower Dance with you." Vincent sat at the Mayor's table, opening up an old book from the library.

"That may be a good idea." Mayor Pierre, whose hair had gone grey in his old age, leaned in.

"The Flower Queen is young, fair and lively, in a demure white dress," Vincent read, "with natural beauty and excellent dance skill. The Flower Queen exemplifies all that is great about spring, flowers, and Stardew Valley." He gave the mayor a smug grin. "Nowhere in the bylaws does it state that the Flower Queen has to be a female."

"Vincent," Pierre sighed, "You are a seventeen-year-old boy. Why do you want to be the Flower Queen, anyway?"

Vincent shrugged. "I've always wanted to, ever since I was a little boy. I want a twirly skirt and a flower crown. The Flower Queen always looks like she has so much fun during that last dance with her Prince!"

"Well, because the bylaws don't prohibit it, I can't in good conscience prohibit you from trying. But I can say that I will not vote for anyone who makes such a mockery of our traditions."

"Thank you, sir!" Vincent stood up and reached his hand across the table. Pierre stood and reluctantly returned the handshake. "I'll do my best."

As soon as Vincent was out of earshot, the grumbling started. "That's what I'm afraid of...holy Yoba, I'm too old for this nonsense."

Vincent sprinted from the Mayor's mansion to Marnie's ranch. He ran in without knocking, gave Marnie a high-five across the counter, and barged into the big bedroom.

"Jas, guess what!"

"What?" Jas was laying on her bed, with her face buried in a calculus textbook.

"Mayor Pierre's gonna let me go for Flower Queen this year!"

"WHAT." Jas swung her legs down and sat up on the bed.

"Isn't that awesome?"

"No!"

Vincent's face fell.

"Vincent, you know this is my last year in Pelican Town. I won't be able to come back next year, my Spring Break is too late to make it to the Flower Dance. This is my last shot."

"Well, you can still enter," he said.

"Just like I have every year since I was old enough to dance." She crossed her arms. "And every year, I get edged out. Either someone older than me is better at the dance, or someone younger is prettier and gets more votes." She glared at Vincent. "Just once, I want to win. And if you enter, people are gonna vote for you because you're this hilarious novelty item, and I'll get edged out again."

"I didn't know you took it that seriously."

"Well, I do. It's a rite of passage, it's a bit of validation, it's what all the little girls in the Valley dream of when they watch the Flower Dance as kids!"

"I thought you were more interested in school and nerdy stuff than being validated as a pretty girl."

Jas rolled her eyes. "I'm more interested in school because that's what I'm good at. Come on, would you rather play gridball or build model rockets?"

"Good point. Last time I built a rocket, it exploded on the pad. That was back in middle school."

"I remember that, I was pissed because I wanted to launch mine that day and you ruined the launcher."

He laughed. "Yeah, sorry about that. Listen, I just don't want the Flower Dance to come between us."

"Well, it will." The glare hadn't faded from her face. "This is my last chance to become the Flower Queen. If you insist on being a novelty item, go ahead, but you're not getting any help from me. Bye, Vincent."

"Jas, I'm sorry...it's just that I really want to do this, and-"

"I'm done talking about this," she snapped. "Goodbye, Vincent."

He left without closing the door. Jas jumped out of bed and slammed it behind him.

Just a few seconds later, Shane and Marnie came in.

"What's wrong, honey?" Marnie sat down on the bed by Jas, putting an arm around her.

Jas rolled her eyes. "Vincent's gonna try to be the Flower Queen this year."

"Awesome!" Shane laughed. "I'd vote for him!"

"That's the problem! A big guy in a dress is funny, so people are gonna vote for him so they can see him dance again! I thought I might actually have a chance this year," she sighed.

"Well, maybe if you got a better fitting dress," Shane said, his voice trailing off.

"UGH! Are you calling me fat?!"

"It's just that you've been wearing Penny's old dress for years now, and it kind of cinches you in too much…"

"You ARE!"

"I swear I'm not!"

"You're not helping! Get out!"

Shane ducked out of the room, mumbling something about how chickens are so much easier to deal with than people.

"Jas, honey, we were actually talking about this the other day," Marnie said. "Shane didn't want to say this because he didn't want to come off like a creep, but your figure is...amazing. Perfect hourglass. And obviously, Penny's is not. She's long and lean. You're the same height, so the dress worked when you were in eighth and ninth grade, but now it's just not enough."

Jas looked down. All she could see was what she thought were giant thighs, straining against her sweatpants. "Obviously. It looks like an overstuffed sausage casing."

"Oh, shut up!" Marnie snapped. "Nobody's allowed to talk to you like that, even you."

"Sorry…" She rolled her eyes again.

"Let's go to Emily and Haley."

"You think they'd be able to let it out enough to squeeze me in there?"

"Oh, I meant we'd get you a new dress."

"You'd do that for me?"

"Of course, that's why I'm suggesting it!" Marnie playfully squeezed Jas. "Emily knows how to make clothing that makes people look good. Haley's up to date on the trends, so she can help by making sure Emily designs something that looks current. I know you have your heart set on being the Flower Queen, so we'll give you the best chance possible."

"But it's my last year here."

"Well, we'll hold on to the dress. We can lend it out if Azalea or Juliet ever hit a growth spurt...or if you need it as a wedding dress!"

Jas pressed her lips together and nodded. She had plenty of snarky comments for Marnie, but held them in. "Thanks, Aunt Marnie." She picked up her notebook. "I have four more calculus problems to do before tomorrow, so...maybe we can go tomorrow evening?"

"Sounds great! Maybe we can make an evening of it, and get dinner at the Saloon on the way home."


	2. Chapter 2

"Aren't you afraid of embarrassing yourself?" Jodi sounded concerned.

Vincent laughed. "No, are you afraid of me embarrassing you?"

Jodi's face darkened. It had been a typical dinner until Vincent mentioned wanting to become the Flower Queen. Now his parents were tense and uncomfortable, and Sam was holding back giggles.

"Son, why exactly do you want to do this?" Kent asked.

"Okay." Vincent put his knife and fork down. "Ever since I was a kid, I thought it would be awesome to get to dance the last dance and wear a flower crown and get fussed over. As I got older, I realized that putting a guy in a dress is kind of a silly thing to do, so I wanted to get in on that part of it, too. But there's more!"

Jodi took a big gulp of her wine.

"When I was a little kid, I looked up to Sam. I wanted to be just like him."

Sam interrupted Vincent for a high five.

Vincent continued. "Sam taught me that it's okay to like flowers, and it's okay to be too scared to watch horror movies, and it's okay to cry if something really upsetting happens. He taught me how to clean a fish, how to write down when my homework is due, how to cook an egg, all that stuff."

"I taught you how to do those things, too," Jodi said.

"I know, Mom, thanks, but it made more sense and it just seemed more worth doing when Sam taught me. Anyway. You guys know Sage, right? The farmer and Harvey's little boy? Azalea's little brother? Lately he's been following me around whenever he sees me, asking me a million questions, giving me pictures that he drew in crayon, you know. He thinks I'm cool."

"Nice, that's one person in the world!" Sam laughed. Jodi and Kent glared at him. "I mean, three people!"

"Shut up, Sam! Anyway, you guys, Sage is getting picked on in school because he likes flowers and musicals. Because that's what his big sister is into. He goes to private school in Grampleton, right? So his kindergarten class is taking a field trip to the Flower Dance! I want Sage to see a big guy in a dress, dancing and enjoying flowers, so he knows it's okay. And I want those little fartheads who pick on him to see it, too, so maybe they'll lay off the poor kid!"

"That actually makes sense," Kent said.

"Thanks, I know it does! Sage has told those kids that he has a big strong macho buddy who plays gridball, so now they'll get to meet me."

"What are you going to wear?" Jodi asked. "My dress is too small for you, we can't afford to buy you a new one...maybe Marnie or Abigail would have something that fits?"

"Oh, remember all that raking I did this fall? Saved the money. I can't afford anything custom, like, I'm not going to Emily...but I can afford to go into the city and get something off the rack."

"You've put a lot of thought into this." Jodi fidgeted with her food. "You really have your heart set on it, don't you?"

"Absolutely."

"How are you going to learn the dance?"

"Maybe Jas could teach you," Sam said.

"Nah, Jas is pissed about this whole thing. She also wants to be the Flower Queen, since it's her last year here before she goes to college. She said she's not gonna help me. So I'll just ask Haley or Abigail, and if they won't teach me, I can look at recordings of last year's dance and kind of reverse engineer it."

"That's right, she hasn't won it yet, has she?" Jodi refilled her wine glass.

"Nope," said Sam. "The first year that Jas danced, Haley won. Then Haley stopped dancing and Penny won after coming in second for years and years. Then Penny stopped dancing and Maru won. Then Azalea was old enough to dance, and she's won the last two, because she's just ridiculously gorgeous."

"Poor Jas," Jodi said. "I never won, either. You know, Vincent, if you go for it, you'll probably be a shoo-in because everyone will be so shocked. Do you really want to do that to your best friend?"

"No." Vincent looked down, seemingly fixated on a piece of basil on his plate. "You know, I vote for her every year. She really is the prettiest one out there. I mean, I'm not gonna tell her that because that would make things weird. But she's also the best dancer. While Azalea and Juliet are out there missing steps and being awkward, Jas is the only one who doesn't look all stilted. If people would vote like they actually should, Jas would have won at least a couple times."

"We're not talking you out of this, are we?" Jodi asked.

"Nope." Vincent stood and started clearing plates. As he set the plates in the sink, there was a knock on the door.

Sam answered. "Jas! What's up?"

"Gotta study," she answered plainly.

Vincent jogged through the living room. "Hey! I'm surprised you're here."

"Me too, honestly." She stepped inside and took off her backpack. "But I told you I'd help you pass geometry at the beginning of the semester, and I'm not gonna back out just because you're pissing me off."

"That's a good friend, Vincent," Jodi said She gave him a pointed look.

Jas sat down at the coffee table and pulled out a three-ring binder. "Thanks, Ms. Jodi."

Vincent sat down with his notebook. "And thank you, Jas. Listen, I'm sorry about the Flower Dance thing-"

"I said I'm done talking about it," she snapped. "Now, we were working on arc length and radian measure, right?"


	3. Chapter 3

Emily sat next to Jas and Marnie at a large table. She was sketching, with a wide grin across her face. While Jas watched her, Marnie looked around.

"I remember when this used to be your living room, Emily."

"I'm glad Robin was able to expand the house so I could convert this room to a shop," Emily answered. "Doing anything bigger than a blouse was such a pain when I was working out of my bedroom, especially with my friend in there!"

"Your friend?" Jas asked.

"Parrot."

"That's right, they don't have a name."

"Right. I just wish I knew what their mama bird called them." She slid her sketch over to Jas. "Here's what I'm thinking. A satin dress with a scoopneck, ballgown silhouette, with floral embroidery and tulle underlay."

Marnie cleared her throat. "The dress is supposed to be demure…"

"Well, how about this?" Emily took the paper back and kept sketching. "Why don't we make it a jewel neckline and add some floral lace sleeves? I was going to keep the scoopneck pretty tame, but..." Her voice trailed off.

Marnie spoke again. "That sounds like a good idea. Jas has some pretty impressive...womanly assets-"

"Aunt Marnie!" Jas cringed and blushed. It looked like she was trying to shrink down into her oversized hoodie.

"It's good to know," Emily said. "Women with more up top do have to cover up more to appear modest, which I realize is completely unfair." She turned to Jas. "Jas, you know, we will need to get detailed and exact measurements from you. We'll be going in the dressing room, getting you down to your underwear, and measuring your bust, chest, waist, hips, and height. Would you like your aunt Marnie to be in there with us?"

"No thanks," Jas said.

"Would you like to know the measurements?"

"I guess. Could be helpful for buying other clothes."

"Alright." Emily turned to Marnie. "Marnie, will you please wait out here? I'll give you some lace swatches that might work for the sleeves, you can look through those and see if anything catches your eye."

Emily set Marnie up with lace swatches, then led Jas to the dressing room. She closed and locked the door and pulled a fabric tape measure from her pocket. "Sorry we have to get you all the way down to your skivvies, Jas. I know this isn't your favorite thing."

"Eh, it's a necessary evil," Jas said. She pulled her hoodie and her t-shirt off, stepped out of her shoes and her jeans, and turned her back to the mirror. "Need my hair pulled up?"

"Yes please, if you could. It's long enough to throw off your bust measurement."

Jas pulled her hair into a messy bun. "Done."

Emily unrolled her tape measure and got to work. "So...how's school?"

"UGH."

Emily laughed.

Jas explained. "I mean, it's going well enough, but the competition is fierce! I'm smart, I can tend to animals, and I can take care of the house and Aunt Marnie when she's sick, so I thought I was doing alright. But...these other girls! They're smart, too, and they're gorgeous, and they're athletic and artistic and popular...I feel like I'm so far behind! I haven't been the best at anything since I was a kid."

"It is hard," Emily answered. "I could tell you all about how you're enough, how you're good enough and smart enough and you'll find your place in the world, but that wouldn't be the right thing to say. It would seem hollow. I know you want some sort of recognition, some sort of prize that says, yes, Jas is the best at this particular thing."

Jas craned her neck over her shoulder to look at Emily. "You get it!"

"I do. I've been there. I still am there sometimes. I mean, I'm making a dress for the first kid from Pelican Town to ever be accepted to Zuzu University! When I was your age, I was bussing tables, and you're on the pre-med track!"

"Comparison is so hard," Jas said. "Here I was, thinking, oh, Emily is so thin and pretty and skilled!"

"Thank you!" Emily wrote some numbers down on her sketch. "Each one of us can be our own worst enemy sometimes, you know?"

"I know all about that," Jas deadpanned.

"I have an idea." Emily handed Jas her t-shirt. "After you get dressed, would you like a great big hug? It won't make you the Flower Queen or get me a degree, but it'll get you a hug."

"Absolutely."

Marnie sat at the big table. She had arranged the lace swatches in order of her preference, from the exquisite cherry blossoms to the ugly avant-garde daisies.

Emily and Jas left the dressing room and headed back to the table. The three of them spent another hour in the shop, making the final negotiations for the dress, from the sleeves to the type of fasteners to the cost. The deal was sealed with handshakes, hugs, and a check that Marnie wouldn't allow Jas to see.

Just a few minutes after Jas and Marnie left, Vincent walked in.

"Hey, Vincent. Looking for Jas?" Emily asked.

"Um, actually, I'm looking for Haley. Is she here?"

"Yes she is. She should be upstairs in her room."

Vincent went upstairs and knocked on Haley's door.

"Come in!"

"Haley! What's up!"

Haley was sitting at her computer, digitally editing photos and eating a piece of cake. Her hair was pulled back in a braid, and she was wearing a set of pink flannel pajamas with white hearts on them. "Vincent? What the heck are you doing here?"

"Well, I wanted to ask you a favor." He shifted his weight awkwardly. He honestly couldn't remember the last time he'd talked to Haley, if he ever had before.

"Go on…"

"Since you were the Flower Queen for seven years in a row, will you please teach me the girls' part of the Flower Dance?"

Haley's face softened. "Aww, sweetie! Are you gonna dance with a boy?"

"Probably. I mean, Jas won't dance with me this year…"

"You can still dance the boys' part if you want, you don't have to learn the girls' part. That part actually uses the skirt for some of the moves."

"Well, I was actually hoping to become the Flower Queen, so I'd have a dress on."

Haley glared. "Absolutely not."

"What?"

"This is not a joke. The role of the Flower Queen is Stardew Valley's face to the world. It's something to be taken seriously."

"I know, that's why I'm asking you," Vincent said. "You're the best dancer and the best Flower Queen."

"Get out." Haley's voice was flat and her glare was piercing. "You will get no help from me."

Vincent hung his head. "Yes ma'am." He closed the door and walked down the stairs.

As he reached the main room of the shop, he heard a yell. "Don't teach him, Emily! He wants to learn the Flower Dance!"

"I won't, don't worry!" Emily called back.

As Vincent headed for the door, Emily tapped him on the arm. Her voice was barely above a whisper. "Honestly, we could use some new blood and some levity in that festival," she said quickly. "Talk to Maru, she's a great dancer and she'll probably agree with me."


	4. Chapter 4

Vincent and Maru sat at the kitchen table of the mountain house, drinking water and eating sandwiches. Maru was wearing a purple dress from last spring, slightly too small, that went down past her knees. She had lent Vincent a pleated yellow skirt that was knee-length on her, but looked like a miniskirt on him, to teach him the moves requiring the skirt. He wore it over his track pants. They had spent the last couple hours learning the order of the steps and the skirt swishes, and Vincent could finally do the dance without reverting back to the boys' part that he'd danced before. So, it was time for lunch.

"Vincent, I'm glad you're doing as well as you are."

"Me too, thanks!" He took a swig of water.

"I have a project that I need to work on tomorrow, so you'll be practicing on your own then."

"Oh, is that why?" Vincent laughed. "Why do you need to do it tomorrow, anyway? It's not like you have a teacher yelling at you to turn it in on time."

"Because the ethylene levels in the crystal fruits that we're studying will only be at the optimal level to extract the phenolic compounds tomorrow."

Vincent smiled and nodded.

"Because I can only use ripe fruit for this experiment, not overripe."

"Oh. Okay, that kinda makes sense. Thanks for helping me out today, I know it was kind of a day off for you, with no clinic work and no science."

"Not a problem. I really like dancing. If you weren't here, I'd probably be learning to swing dance with Dad. And then I'd go over to Penny's and try to convince her to come dancing with me."

"Penny dances?"

"She knows how to two-step. She just doesn't wanna go dancing because our only option in town is the saloon and she doesn't want to be around her mom when Pam is drinking there. The closest place she'd actually want to go is in Zuzu City, and she doesn't want me to pay for everything. Even though I totally would. I'd get our bus tickets, dinner, soda at the bar, tips for the band, ice cream when we're done..."

"That's so sweet!" Vincent giggled. "That would actually be a wonderful date."

Maru blushed and broke eye contact. She swallowed hard. "I...guess it would." She took a bite of her sandwich and let the conversation die down.

Vincent finished his own sandwich. "Thanks for lunch, Maru." He walked up to the sink, washed his plate, and put it in the dish drainer.

"You didn't have to do that!" Maru giggled. "I have a dishwasher."

"Force of habit. Mom's had me doing dishes since I was eight years old, so I just do mine as soon as they get dirty."

"Thanks, that's awesome." Maru put her own dish in the sink and refilled her glass. "Let's go back to the lab and keep practicing. You have the order of the steps and the swishes down perfectly. Now we just need to work on making them more fluid. You'll want your steps and your swishes to flow together, as if the wind is blowing your skirt and your leg and your arm up."

"It's hard!" Vincent laughed. "Making the whole thing flow is so hard, especially when I'm still trying to remember the steps."

"I know it's hard! You wanna know how I won? I practiced for an hour a day, all winter, to get the moves to flow into each other. Nobody else dances like I do, because nobody else puts in the work! I had to work twice as hard as someone like Haley or Azalea did to win! This face and this chunky body don't exactly scream young, fair, and lively!"

"Why were you so hell-bent on winning, anyway?"

"I know I don't seem like the typical Flower Queen, or even the typical girl who would try for it. That's kinda why I wanted to win. I wanted to show the town that yes, even though I am a giant nerd, I am also feminine and soft and want to be seen as pretty."

"That sounds like why Jas wants to win, too."

"Jas wants to win?"

"She tries every year." He sighed. "I'd wait until next year, but Sage keeps getting bullied in school and his classmates are coming to watch the dance this year. I want to show them a big macho dude who likes flowers and dancing and isn't afraid to be a little feminine. Once they see Sage's cool friend doing the flower dance, hopefully they'll be less likely to give Sage crap."

"Then who are you dancing with? I'm guessing she won't dance with you…"

"Probably Oberon. Elliott and Leah's boy. He's old enough to dance this year, and he thinks the idea of me in a dress is hilarious. Plus he's nervous around girls, and the only girl he'd dance with is his sister, but he thinks that's gross."

"Makes sense. Who's Jas gonna dance with?"

"Probably Sam, if you're dancing with Penny."

"Oh. Okay. This'll be an interesting year!" Maru giggled. "Now, for these next few run-throughs, I'm gonna be facing you. I'll do the dance mirroring you. When you move your left hand, I'll move my right, so it'll be like you're looking in a mirror. That way, you won't get lost, and I can still watch you."

"So you're gonna do it backwards?"

"Pretty much, yeah."

"How can you do that?"

Maru shrugged. "I taught Juliet how to dance last year. Figured it out then."

"Why didn't she win?"

"She didn't practice, at least not as much as I did." Maru backed up. "Now line up!"

Maru clicked the remote in her pocket and the music started. Vincent danced, seeing himself mirrored in Maru's actions. Every once in a while, she'd call out "Swish!" or "Loosen that arm!" or "Flow!" As the dance ended, Vincent raised his arms and spun around. Maru stopped without spinning and watched.

"Alright, let's try that spin again."

"Huh?"

"You're stepping around in a circle. That's fine when you're learning the sequence, but now, I want you to pop up on the ball of your foot during the spin. Push off with the other foot and let your momentum carry you around in a circle."

Vincent popped up on the ball of his foot. His tennis shoe squeaked as he skidded to a stop, not even making it a quarter of the way around. "Nope!" He laughed. "If I go any harder than that, I'm gonna end up wiping out."

Maru shrugged. "Take your shoes off. You're not gonna be wearing athletic shoes to the dance, at least you better not!"

"Oh! I hadn't even thought of what shoes to wear! I guess I could just wear my normal dress shoes?"

Maru facepalmed. "No you may not," she said, "They're brown. Girls wear nude or white shoes."

"Oh. That's...not good."

"No, it's not. My dad might have something you can borrow, though. I think he has some white dance shoes. For now, just practice in your socks."

"Okay." Vincent took his shoes off and set them under the counter. He put his arms up as he stood on the ball of his foot, pushed off, and spun around.

"Alright! That was adequate!" Maru laughed.

"What?"

"Try it again with the preceding three steps. Step, step, step, twirl. On that third step, land on the ball of your foot, then raise your arms as you push up." She demonstrated. It looked like the wind was blowing her around. "Step, step, step, twirl!"

Vincent stepped back, then counted off. "Five, six, seven, eight, step, step, step, twirl!"

Maru smiled and nodded. "Not bad! Now we're gonna try the whole thing again. Line up!"

Again, Maru pressed the remote button and the music started. Again, the pair danced, mirroring each other. Maru called out her reminders. As the dance ended, Maru stopped to watch Vincent's twirl, and saw Sebastian coming out of his room.

"Dude, Vincent, are you wearing Maru's skirt?"

"Yep!" Vincent swished the skirt. "I'm gonna be the Flower Queen!"

Sebastian laughed. "Awesome! I'm gonna vote for you!"


	5. Chapter 5

It was the morning of the Flower Dance. Jas had woken up early for hair and makeup. Marnie braided her hair in an elaborate updo, decorated with sprigs of cherry blossoms and baby's breath. Marnie had also done the makeup, since Jas didn't usually wear it. Her idea of fancy was wearing the tinted lip balm. Marnie had gone all out, with lipstick and blush and eyeshadow and sparkle.

The dress fit perfectly. The nipped in waist, the tulle and embroidery, the lace and the satin, were a sharp contrast to the normal Jas uniform of jeans and an oversized t-shirt. The white ballet slippers she wore completed the look.

"Ready to look in the mirror?" Marnie could barely hold in her excitement. "Come on, let's go to the full-length mirror in my room."

Jas followed Marnie to the bedroom, then turned to face the mirror on the door. "Oh, Yoba…."

"What do you think?"

"I look...like a princess!" Jas giggled. "I look like an actual princess, this is SO COOL!" She twirled in front of the mirror. "I mean, I wouldn't wear this to school or anything, but … it's amazing! Thank you!" She twirled again, the other way, and leaned in close to inspect the makeup. "I look like I could actually win!"

"I'll vote for you," Marnie said, "But then again, I'm biased. You're my best little girl."

Jas cackled. "Little girl? I'm taller than you!"

"No you're not!"

"Yes I am! Not by much, but I really am taller than you!"

"You're still my little girl, though." Marnie gave Jas a hug. "You should probably go. Charm the heck out of everyone, especially the older people who won't want to vote for Vincent."

"Good idea! I love you, Aunt Marnie, bye!" Jas rushed out of the house.

The mood at the festival was positively electric. A crowd had already gathered. Azalea was already out on the dance floor, practicing her moves. Jas watched for a while, trying to suss out whether Azalea would be able to dance better than her. She saw Maru, in a new dress, looking positively awkward as she waited for Penny to finish talking to Harvey. She saw Juliet, in Azalea's dress from last year, talking to her parents.

Then she saw Sam, talking to Sebastian and Abigail. She hadn't asked him to dance yet. She made her way over to him.

"Hi, Sam."

"WOAH!" Sam looked Jas over. "You look beautiful!"

"She really does!" Abigail chimed in. "I love your hair, Jas!"

"Thanks." She looked down and smoothed her skirt. "Sam, I'm not dancing with Vincent this year. Will you please dance with me?"

"My pleasure." Sam bowed. "I just hope I'm not too loopy with all this allergy medication on board."

"Me too."

"Flower Dancers!" The announcement cut through the air. "Please take your places!"

Sam lightly touched Jas on the small of her back. "I'll do my best."

"Thanks, Sam."

The loudspeaker crackled to life again. "This year, we have four princess contenders for Flower Queen: Jas, Vincent, Juliet, and Azalea! As the princesses dance, please vote for the one who would make the best Flower Queen, based on their beauty, skill, and warmth. The Flower Queen exemplifies all that makes Stardew Valley so wonderful."

Jas looked around as the dancers lined up. She had Azalea on one side and Penny on the other. Maru was across from Penny; she looked decidedly less awkward than before. Vincent was all the way on one end, and Juliet was on the other.

"Jas!" Penny gave her a quick wave. "You know this dance by heart and you look absolutely gorgeous. I know you'll do well!"

"Thanks!" Jas gave Penny a little curtsy.

The music started. Penny was right, Jas didn't even have to think about the dance. She knew every step and every swish by heart. She'd been practicing. She smiled to the audience, smiled to her partner, and did her best to exemplify what makes Stardew Valley wonderful. As the dance ended, she spun a perfect spin, arms up in the air.

The time had come to vote. Most dancers voted for themselves, and this year, Jas was no exception. She quickly made her way to the wooden ballot box, dropped in her vote, and walked over to Marnie and Shane to wait for the results.

"Hey Jas, want a muffin with apricot jelly?" Shane already knew the answer. He handed Jas a napkin with a muffin on top.

"Thanks! This looks delicious!" She took a small bite. "Tastes delicious, too. I'll have to be careful not to get any on my dress."

Jas looked out at the dance floor. A large crowd of kindergarteners, most likely Sage's class, were all dancing with Vincent. Vincent looked surprisingly good in an A-line dress with eyelet details, and a bright yellow tulip tucked behind his ear. He waved at Jas. She waved back, then turned her attention to her food again.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" The announcement crackled through the air. The kindergarteners hurried to the sidelines. "The time has come to crown the Flower Queen!"

Jas crammed the rest of the muffin in her mouth and walked back to the dance floor. She stood with Vincent, Azalea, and Juliet.

"In third place this year, Flower Princess Azalea!"

Azalea walked up to the mayor, curtsied, and held that curtsy until Pierre placed a small flower crown on her head. The crowd applauded.

Vincent and Jas looked at each other. Both looked positively confused.

"In second place, Flower Princess Vincent." The crowd erupted into cheers, whistles, and laughs. Vincent curtsied first to them, then to Mayor Pierre. Pierre reluctantly crowned him, and then Vincent hurried back.

"I bet you're gonna win," he whispered to Jas.

"I bet Juliet's gonna get it," she whispered back.

"I voted for you." Vincent glanced over at the mayor, who was holding a large and elaborate flower crown.

"You didn't know you could vote for yourself?"

"Well, I did know that, but I figured it would be between you and Azalea."

"And in first place, the Flower Queen of Stardew Valley, congratulations to Jas!"

"REALLY?!" Jas covered her mouth. "Yoba, I finally won!" She dissolved into relieved sobs. She gave a quick curtsy to the cheering crowd, then hurried up to the mayor and curtsied for her flower crown.

Pierre put the microphone back in its holder so he could place the elaborate crown on the Flower Queen's head. "You won by one vote, Jas." He clipped the crown on with bobby pins.

"What? Just one?" She sniffled hard. Pierre gave her a tissue, and she blew her nose.

"Just one." He clapped Jas on the shoulder. "Well-deserved win, Jas."

She ran back to the dance floor, back to Vincent, and wrapped him up in a warm hug. "Thank you, Vincent!"

"Huh?"

"I won by one vote!" She sniffled again and wiped her nose with the tissue. "One vote! And you voted for me!"

"NICE!" He stepped back and took her hand. "Like I said, I swear-to-Yoba thought it was gonna be you and Azalea trying for the top spot! I always vote for you because you're the prettiest one out there and you're such a good dancer."

Again, Jas dissolved into tears. Again, she hugged Vincent tightly.

"Flower Queen Jas, please make your way to the dance floor with your prince for the last dance."

"Be right back," she told Vincent. She ran to the sideline. "Sam?"

"Congratulations!" He gave her a high five. "Do we need to dance again?"

"Actually, I was hoping to ask Vincent. Would that be okay with you?"

"Dude, that would be hilarious! And adorable! Yeah, ask Vincent!"

She hurried right back to the dance floor as Vincent was leaving. She caught him by the wrist.

"Huh?"

"Vincent, will you dance the last dance with me?"

Vincent laughed. "That's never been done!"

"Neither has a guy in a dress trying to be the Flower Queen," Jas said. "It's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission anyway. Wanna dance?"

Vincent laughed again. "Heck yes I do!"

He put his hand on her waist and took her other hand. As the music started, he stepped confidently back, leading her forward. They settled into the groove of a waltz.

"I'm glad you know how to waltz," Jas whispered. "I didn't even think to ask."

"Maru taught me."

"No wonder you're so good."

Vincent spun Jas around. "You know how to lead, too?"

"Yep. Want me to?"

"Sure!"

Jas stepped back to lead Vincent, waltzed him around the dance floor, then spun him around so his skirt flew outward. He flounced back to Jas, nodded at her, and started leading her. They continued like this, taking turns leading and following, spinning each other around the dance floor, until the song ended.

They then curtsied to the audience on all sides together, curtsied to each other, then wrapped each other up in a tight, giggly hug.


End file.
